PARIS. 
domeftic virtues have eftablilhed their peculiar empire, 
the moral of many of the raoft favourite dramas is worfe 
than equivocal, and female delicacy is too frequently 
(hocked with the molt vulgar and palpable ribaldry. 
Connected with this is another circumftance, the explana¬ 
tion of which we likevvife leave to others. In England, 
where female chaftity is juftly confidered as the fex’s 
point of honour, and a lapfe from it is never forgiven, 
the managers of the national theatres have built accom¬ 
modations exprefsly for the nicft degraded clafs of fociety. 
They nightly encourage fcenes offenfive to delicacy, and 
fubverfive of good morals; and may truly be faid to (hare, 
not only in the gains, but in the very bufinefs, of the 
brothel-keeper. In France, however, where fidelity to 
the marriage-vow is little regarded; where the female who 
has forgotten the duty which fhe owed her hufband, and 
-dilhonours herfelf, is on that account treated with no 
contempt, and excluded from no fociety; the theatres 
are perfectly free from the intrufion, or, at lead, from the 
difgufting conduct, of the women of the town. 
Sentinels, more numerous than at the Englifh theatres, 
guard all the avenues, and preferve order in the interior. 
The people who wait the opening of the doors are re¬ 
gularly arranged in files of two or three abreaft; and, 
although the crowd probably confifts of feveral hundreds, 
no preffure or inconvenience is felt, and every perfon is 
gently and quietly admitted in his turn. At leaving the 
theatre not the fmalleft confufion or uproar takes place. 
No perfon is permitted to call his carriage until he is 
actually waiting for it at the door; and, fhould not the 
owner ftep into it in an inftant, it is ordered off by the 
police, and makes way for another. By this arrangement, 
the company is difperfed in an inconceivably fhort l'pace 
of time. 
No very profufe decoration is beftowed on the interior 
of the Parifian theatres ; and the mode of lighting them 
has fome refemblance to that at Aftley’s Amphitheatre, 
which is now adopted at Covent Garden and Drury Lane. 
An enormous chandelier, orrathera double rowof Argand 
damps, is fufpended from the centre, which diffufes a 
gentle and agreeable light through the whole houfe; 
The light is not fo brilliant as at the London theatres, 
nor fo favourable to the difplay of female beauty which 
the boxes occafionally exhibit; but it much increafes the 
etfeCt of the fcenic reprefentation. 
When a favourite aCtor appears at the commencement 
of his part, he is ufually greeted, as in London, with en- 
thufiaftic applaufe ; but, according to the proper etiquette 
of the French ftage, he feems to be perfeClly infenllble to 
the rapture with which he is hailed. He returns not the 
l]ighteit gefticulation, but Hands in the proper attitude of 
his character until the acclamations fubfide, and he can 
be heard. But, when he has finifhed his part, and is 
again fummoned on the ftage once more to receive the 
applaufes of his admirers, when he is no longer the mo¬ 
narch or the hero, he can, without impropriety, exprefs 
Lids genuine feelings, and he acknowledges the kind pa¬ 
tronage of the audience by many a bow of refpeCtful gra¬ 
titude. After the fuccefsful performance of a new piece, 
the name of the author is loudly demanded, and his ap¬ 
pearance on the Itage required. The moment he is feen, 
the houfe rings with acclamation ; he replies with a few 
humble conges, and retires. 
The manner of remunerating the authors of fuccefsful 
pieces delerves notice. They are allowed a certain fliare 
of the profits during life, and the benefit defcends to their 
family for ten years after their deceafe. This regulation 
extends through every theatre in the whole French em¬ 
pire. No provincial manager can exhibit the production 
of any living author without making him this allowance. 
The proportion depends on the celebrity of the author, 
and the fpecific agreement between him and the manager. 
It fometimes amounts to one-fixteenth, but occafionally 
.does not exceed a iixtieth. A few authors, as Dacis and 
-Picard, derive a handfome revenue from this fource. 
483 
The boxes at the principal theatres ufually contain fix 
perfons ; but a fmall party may take any box on paying 
for five places. A ticket is immediately placed on the 
door Hating that it is let; and no other perfon is permitted 
to intrude during the whole of the night, although the 
box may not be occupied by more than two or three. 
L’Ope'ra, on AccuUmie Rot/ale de Mujique; the Opera 
Houfe; Rue Richelieu.—Cardinal Mazarine fir ft intro¬ 
duced the Italian opera into Paris, for the amufement of 
Anne of Auftria, in 1646. The prefent houfe has nothing- 
remarkable in its exterior but a heavy colonnade of eight 
arcades. The interior prefents a far more fplendid ap¬ 
pearance than either of the other theatres, but is decidedly 
inferior to the national theatres in London. This the¬ 
atre prefents a ftriking exception to the remark we have 
made on the want of variety in the fcenery. Nothing can 
exceed its fplendour or beauty, or the adroitnefs with 
which it is managed. 
The performances of the opera refemble thofe of the 
houfe of the fame name in London, except that the poetry 
and mulic are frequently French. The orchelfra is fu- 
perior to that in London, and probably unequalled in 
Europe; but the iinging is fcarcely above mediocrity. 
This will be ealily accounted for, when it is recollected 
that few Italian fingers are engaged here. For the beauty 
and fplendour of the ballet, and the excellence of the 
dancing, the Opera is defervedly celebrated. It is far 
fuperior to any thing which the reft of Europe can afford. 
France is the native land of dancing, and in her grand 
national theatre we may expeCl to lee the very perfection 
of the art; nor will that expectation be difappointed. The 
principal charm of the ballets of the opera confifts in the 
uniform excellence of all the performers ; but it is only 
where dancing is an objeCt of univerfal and paffionate 
admiration that we may hope to fee almoft every figurante 
on the boards difplaying an elegance, agility, and know¬ 
ledge of the art, which would apparently enable her to fill 
the moft important parts. 
The performances are on Mondays, Wednefdays, and 
Fridays. The prices of adtniffion are—balcony, 10 francs; 
firft and fecond tier of boxes in front, amphitheatre and 
orcheftaa, 7 francs lo fous ; firft and fecond boxes at the 
fides, and third boxes in front, 6 francs; third tier of 
boxes at the fide, 4 francs ; fourth and fifth boxes, and 
pit, 3 francs 11 fous. The doors open at fix, and the opera 
commences at feven. 
The'atre FRANgAis, in the fame ftreet.—This theatre 
likewile prefents nothing ftriking in its exterior. Its 
periftyle towards the ftreet is of the Doric order, and is 
compofed of eleven intercolumniations, forming ten 
arcades. Above are pilaiters of the Corinthian order, 
whofe entablature is cut by a range of fmall windows. 
The principal faloon is of an elliptical form, and is fur- 
rounded by three rows of Doric columns. The firft row 
is coupled ; the tw’o others are infulated. The ceiling is 
adorned with fculpture and arabefque ornament. Four 
ftaircafes afcend from the faloon to the different divifions 
of the houfe. The theatre is 69 feet wide, and as many in 
depth, and the ftage prefents an opening of 38 feet. The 
internal decoration of the houfe is far from attractive, and 
confifts principally of a dingy yellow marble. 
This theatre is confecrated to the exhibition of the 
claffical productions of the belt French writers. Racine, 
Corneille, Voltaire, Crebillon, and Moliere, are the fources 
from which its molt frequent and moll approved per¬ 
formances are feleCted ; and no attempt has been made to 
dilgrace the immortal productions of genius, by falfe orna¬ 
ments, and contemptible pageants. 
Among the tragic aCtors here, Talma Hands alone ; the 
aCtrelfes, Mad. Duchefnois, George, and Volnais. The 
molt celebrated female performer in comedy, is Made- 
moifelle Mars, whom it is impofiible to name, without 
paying her a tribute of applaufe : “ Madernoifelle Mars is 
probably as perfect an aftrefs in comedy as any that ever 
appeared on any Itage. §he has united every advantage 
